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Cheddar & Chive Buttermilk Biscuits milk was the home cook's trusty baking companion. Baking soda was the only game in town, and it needed an acidic ingredient to help activate it and balance its flavor. Buttermilk came to the rescue. And it's still my savior in the kitchen. Having a quart of buttermilk in the fridge allows me to whip together a quick batch of scones whenever the mood strikes. I know that one complaint with this ingredient is having a half-empty carton leftover, but I never have that problem as there are plenty of ways to use it beyond baking (see the box on p. 28). In my family, we even drink it, blended with fresh fruit and sugar, for a quick, tangy smoothie. Yields 9 biscuits. Served warm, these cheesy biscuits are a perfect companion to a bowl of soup on a chilly night. Parmesan or Swiss may be substituted for the Cheddar and scallion for the chives. 9 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder V2 teaspoon baking soda Y2 teaspoon table salt % pound (V2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into Y2-inch cubes % cup thinly sliced fresh chives 3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated to yield % cup 2!J cup buttermilk At the supermarket, you'll see buttermilk labeled with various percentages of milkfat: h, Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk 1, or 1112 percent. For baking, they're essentially interchangeable. the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. With a pastry blender or two table knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it's texture is fine and looks a little like cornmeal, with some butter chunks the size of peas. Stir in the chives and grated cheese. Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is wet, sticky, and shaggy; small areas of dry ingredients are fine. Turn the dough out on to an unfloured board and knead about 12 times until the dough comes together and is smooth. Lightly flour the board and pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick square. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the square; this helps the biscuits rise. Cut the square into nine smaller squares. Transfer the biscuits to the lined baking sheet. Bake until firm and lightly golden brown on top and golden brown on bottom, 18 to 23 minutes. What exactly is buttermilk? Originally, buttermilk was the milky liquid that remained after churning cream into butter. But the product that we use today is made in a different way, more akin to yogurt. Skim milk or low-fat milk is heated with active cultures (in other words, good bacteria), and these cultures convert some of the sugar in the milk (the lactose) into lactic acid. Under acidic conditions, milk proteins are not as soluble and they precipitate out, causing what's known as clabbering-an old-fashioned term for the thickening of milk. It's the lactic acid that causes both tartness and thickness, which are classic characteristics of buttermilk. (ingredient continues on p. 26) 24